Propeller



Dec. 28 1926. 1,612,006

F. ERDMANN PROPELLER Filed June 1e, 1926 muje 175@ f4 VMM/2.

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Patented Der.. 2%, 1926.

mrs s'r FRANK aspiranti, or

BUFFALO, vNEW YORK.

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Application led June 16,

The device forming the subject matter of this application is a paddle wheel or propeller for a boat, the device being a specific improvement on the propeller shown in my Patent No. 1,576,584, granted on March 16,

The propeller `or paddle wheel shown in the patentlabovealluded to is provided with a pivotally mounted blade including an arm, the blade beingpivotally mounted -sO-that vit can feather. The blade isheld inwerking position -by a slide. A means is provided for moving the slide inwardly, thereby lto release the armof the blade and `to permit the blade to feather. When fthe blade, being acted upon by gravity, swings back into a working position, the *armion the blade engages a cam on the slide and moves the slide bodily, lso that the arm on the `blade can interlock with the slide.

The present invention aims to obviate the inward movement of the slide by the arm on the blade, as the blade moves from feathered position to working position.

It is within the province of the disclosure to improve `generally and to enhance the utility of devices of that type to which the invention appertains.

lllith the above and yother objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, may be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit yof the invention.

In the drawings Figure 1 shows in side elevation, a portion of a paddle wheel constructed in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is an end elevation of the wheel; Figure 3 is a sectional view .showing a portion of the wheel in relation to the operating mechanism; Figure 4 is a section on the line 4 4 of Figure 1.

The numeral 1 marks a paddle wheel of the sort used on stern wheel river boats, one of the spokes of the paddle wheel being designated by the numeral 2. VThe spoke 2 has an inwardly extended off-set 3 which is U-shaped in elevation, as clearly shown in Figure 1. The oni-set 3 has longitudinal guides 4 in its top and in its bottom, the guides 4 communicating at their inner ends 192s. serial No. 116,434.

with a recess 5 in the offsset 3. An open frame 6 forms the, inner end of the off-set 3. AV slide is provided, the same including a body 7 and a stem 8. The body TofV the slide is mounted to reciprocate in the guides 4, and the stem 8 is received slidably in the inner end ofV the frame 6. At the point ,vherethe-stein-S joins the body 7 there is a Vshoulder 9. A compression spring 10 surrounds-a part ofthe stem 8, one end of the 65 spring abutting against the shoulder -9 and lthe other-'end of the spring abutting. against the outer end of the fra-me 6. Thefunction of the spring -10 3 is to ca-rry the Vslide outwardly or Vto the right inFiguresl, 3 and 4. 70

The'slide carries a plate 11 which is transversely curved, as shown in Figure 2. When viewed atk right angles to the showing of Figure ,2, the plate 11 is seen to present cam edges 12, as in Figure 3, the cam edges 12 7,5 converging to a point located near to the longitudinal edges of the plate., The slide includ-es a transverse head 14 having recesses 15. Latches are provided, the same including inclined parts 16 and keepers 1980 disposed at `anacute angle to the parts 16 and .placed at lthe inner end thereof. The outer ends of the latches are pivoted at 17 to the outer ends of the transverse head of the slide. Compression springs 18 are in- S5 terposed between the head 14 and the inclined parts 16 of the latches. The keepers 19 of the latches are received in theJ recesses 15 when the latches are pushed inwardly from the position of Figure 4. The numeral 25 designates a blade including an arm 27, the arm being pivotally connected at 26 to the spoke 2. The arm 27 extends toward the center of rotation on the paddle wheel 1 and is received between the keepers 19 of 95 the latches, as shown in Figures 1 and 4.

The numeral 20 designates any accessible part of the vessel on which the paddle wheel is mounted. Levers 21 are fulcrumed intermediate their ends, as at 22, on the part 20 100 of the vessel. The levers 21 are united by pin and slot connections 23 with a rod 24 mounted for reciprocation on the part 2O of the vessel, and under the control of an operator, as shown in my patent hereinbefore mentioned.

rl`he operator can select either one of the levers 21 to engage the cam edges 12 of the plate 11 on the slide, the levers being moved by the rod 24, one lever 21 being in operal5@ tive position when the paddle wheel is working ahead, and the other of the levers being operated when the wheel is working aback. After the blade 25 has done the best part of its work in advancing the vessel, the cam 12 comes into contact with one of the levers 21, and the slide is carried to the left in Figures l, 3 and et, the spring 10 being cornpressed, and the keepers 19 of the latches being disengaged from the arm 27 of the blade 25. In practice the arm 27 does not fit friction-tight between the keepers 19. llloreover, the springs 18 are strong enough to resist any swinging movement of the latches due to Contact between the arm 27 and the keepers 19. The keepers 19, therefore, are disengaged as aforesaid from the arm 27 of the blade 25. The result is that, as` the blade 25 leaves the water, the blade will feather. lVhen the blade 25 gets around into the propel' position, as the wheel 1 rotates, the blade will tilt by gravity on its pivotal mounting 26, and the arm 27 'of the blade will cooperate with the inclined part 16 of one of the latches and force that latch inwardly, the end of the arm 27 being received again, in working position, between the keepers 19, as depicted in Figure l of the drawings. It is to be observed that the inclined parts 16 extend outwardly beyond all portions of the slide. The result is that when the arm 2'7 swings into engagement with the inclined part 16 of the latches, no rigid part of the slide is struck, and the slide does not move inwardly, the latches yielding, to permit the end of the arms 27 of the blades 25 to engage between the keepers 19, it being observed in this connection, that the springs 18 are weaker than. the spring 10. Owing to the construction above described and to the advantages flowing therefrom, one half of the wear incident to the reciprocation of the slide is avoided, because the .slide does not have to move inwardly in order that the end of the arm 27 may be engaged between the keepers 19 of the latches. The slide is moved inwardly, only when one of the levers 21 eoperatcs with the cam 12.

l claim In the device of the class described, a paddle wheel for a boat, a slide mounted to reciprocate on the wheel, yieldable means for moving the slide outwardly,spring-operated latches mounted on the slide and including inclined parts, a blade pivoted to the wheel and comprising an arm so located that when the blade swings from feathered position to working position, the arni may engage the inclined part of either latch, swing'the latch inward and engage between the latches, the latches extending out far enough with respect to all parts of the slide so that the contact will be confined to the arm and the latch; a cam on the slide, and means for engaging the cam as the wheel rotates, thereby to move the slide inwardly and to carry the latches out of engagement with the arm, so as to permit the blade to feather.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto atxed my signature.

FRANK ERDMANN. 

